Old Tyme Value

[GAHorn]

1948-56 Cessna 170: $30,000-$50,000 -----2007 Skyhawk 172R: $219,500
Speed/fuel: 122 mph(65%pwr)/8 gph ----- 122 kts(80% pwr):roll: / 11 gph
Ceiling: -----------15,000 -------------------------- 13,500
Fuel: ---------- 37 useable ---------------------- 53 useable
Range: -------- 571sm (4.7hrs) ----------------- 580nm (4.8hrs)
Useful load: ---850-900lbs --------------------- 775-800 lbs
TO/Lan Dist: --1820/1145 --------------------- 1985/1295

Think I'll keep my 170!

[N2865C]

Speed/fuel: 122 mph(65%pwr)/8 gph

I wish!!!

[blueldr]

John (2865C),

Georges figures look pretty close to me. What kind of a correction would you make? What is your experience using the same power (65%, 8 GPH)?

[iowa]

why is the ceiling greater for the 170?
iowa

[trake]

The new Skyhawks dont have the 40 degree flap setting They do have about 10 fuel sumps to drain

[Metal Master]

I have flown a few new 172’s and I do like the fuel injected 180 HP. I never had to pay for fuel so that didn’t bother me.

When I landed and pulled into a strange tie down at a distant airport it was just the end of another flight.

When I pull my 170A out of the hanger people stop to talk. When I land somewhere else people stop to talk, when I taxi by people stand outside there hangers and gawk. Old timers come by and tell me how great an airplane it is. I had a couple of guys almost fall of there bikes twisting around backwards to look at the 170 when they pedaled by on Perimeter road.

When I land in the 172 I get to appointments faster because. I don’t have to answer questions about what polishing products I use or how I like the 140? or talk about tail draggers or meet the kids or any thing else. I just get in my car and go.

My dog likes the 170 better because he gets to go.

Ill keep my 170

[iowa]

well put metal!!
iowa

[tshort]

Interesting comparison ... my other plane is a '97 172R.

I use it for travel and see fuel burns of about 9gph on average, maybe a little less. Very comfortable airplane. The main downside to the injected engine is that it can really be a bear to start when hot. Several times I've had to wait after refueling in eastern CO on a summer afternoon ... seems like the altitude makes it worse...

The reason I don't use the 170 for travel is that it is new to me and I am a new tailwheel pilot and don't trust mother nature enough to count on the surface wind forecast at the destination! This fall on the way home from CO in the 172 I had to land in winds that were 30g37 about 40-50 deg off the rwy while stopping for fuel in Nebraska.

My dog likes both equally as he gets to ride in both

Thomas

[GAHorn]

The new Skyhawks dont have the 40 degree flap setting ...

Beginning in the late 60's/early 70's the Skyhawk had begun to gain weight and they needed to up the gross in order to increase the distance between empty and gross (so they could still publish a decent useful load.)
But the problem wasn't one of strength. It was one of balked-landing-climb certification requirements. When they increased the gross the airplane couldn't meet the balked-landing-climb requirements of the certification rules. So Cessna reduced the full-flap setting in order to increase climb rate in the landing configuration. (They artificially made the pilot use less flaps for landing, and therefore less flaps for go around.)
After they did that, in subsequent models, they also began a program of widening the cabin and making the upholstery less intrusive in order to make the airplane slightly more roomy. This led to a redesign of the rear doorposts (which support the wing twisting moment...including the twisting moment which is increased with flap deployment.) This led to a situation where the airframe ran up against any further gross weight increases.
So, they next redesigned to include a horsepower increase to improve the climb and to increase the gross weight again. The horsepower increase meant a need for greater fuel capacity, so the increased horsepower and increased gross weight was being more and more used up by the need to carry increased fuel.
A vicious circle. And another reason that .... I'll keep my 170.

[4-Shipp]

When I landed and pulled into a strange tie down at a distant airport it was just the end of another flight.

When I pull my 170A out of the hanger people stop to talk. When I land somewhere else people stop to talk, when I taxi by people stand outside there hangers and gawk. Old timers come by and tell me how great an airplane it is. I had a couple of guys almost fall of there bikes twisting around backwards to look at the 170 when they pedaled by on Perimeter road.
Ill keep my 170

Last year June and I spent a weekend at the Hangar Hotel in Fredricksburg, TX. 9CP was parked in front of the hotel and while June and I enjoyed lunch at a window seat in the cafe, there was a steady stream of people, mostly older gentlemen, who would finish their lunch and walk out to the flight line to take a look. They would stop about 15 feet away, then take a slow walk around the airplane and finally carefully take a peak in the windows.

I told her when we were airplane shopping that I wanted something that folks would leave their seats in the lobbby to take a look at when we pulled up to a gas pump somewhere.

We have also made a habbit of auctioning/raffling off rides for the kid's school fundraisers. I ask the kids what year they think the plane is and they are amazed that it was built before most of their parents were borne. Cool airplane and a lot of fun to fly!

Bruce